Never Say No One
by Mafia Sable
Summary: None of the families wanted to keep him more than a week. Antonio was determined to change that. Lovino has a secret though, and it is because of it that he acts how he does. "It's almost as if you want people to hate you, Lovi..."  Rating may go up.
1. Monday's Beginning

_A.N: Oh hi, readers. I don't really mean to bother you. I will try my best to have very little authors notes. Because come on, who reads them anyways?_

_Anywho,though I know I should be working on Canada And The Door Beneath The Table... I'm writing this fanfic... (No one really read the other one, anyways. OTL). And although I have a vague idea of how this story is going to go up to a certain point, I would really appreciate ideas about how you awesome people think the story should end, what's gonna happen, ect._

_I love to see what people expect, and I love to hear from people._

_Ah, and flames are going to be fed to demons._

_**STOP! There be warnings about the fic you are about to read!**_

_**-Rating may go up in the future. Contains swearing (obviously) possible violence, possible sexual themes, and fantastical (As in, Fantasy) elements.**_

_**Do not like, please do not bother the people who DO like these kinds of things or else you'll suffer the same curse Lovino's previous adoptive parents suffered.**_

_**Bwahahahahah- -chokes-**_

Monday. 01

The story began with a very interesting program that the guidance counsellor had suggested Antonio look into as he was leaving the graduation party. The pamphlet first told of children, teenagers, still stuck in orphanages with no parents to love them. Because who would adopt a moody teen when you could adopt an adorable little child?

Well. Antonio was a rather loving and doting person. Such was proved by his job at a daycare.

Anyways, the program encouraged young adults such as himself to take this children in and provide them with love and understanding, a nice home and a sense of family. Sort of like becoming a big brother to them, because they were old enough to take care of them but young enough to understand the dramas that went with being a teenager and have the strategies with how to cope fresh in their minds.

That was why a young Italian teen sat beside him in the car, arms crossed over his chest as he gazed out the window. His name was Lovino Vargas. His story, which usually made people back away VERY cautiously from him, was what had driven Antonio to take him in. (Oh, and that cute little face of his. But mostly his story.)

Lovino and his brother had been abandoned at the Orphanage. Feliciano had been adopted by one family that lived in Austria, and that was the last he ever saw of him. One day, a courageous family adopted the temperamental Italian child.

They brought him back crying, screaming and begging.

They died of a mysterious accident two weeks later.

Despite being freaked out by the precious family, another loving family adopted him.

Same story.

They all fell very ill.

They thought the third time would be a charm.

The third was the worst. It looked like some sort of animal had come and torn the family and its house to shreds.

After that, ten year old Lovino Vargas was deemed as cursed. None of the children in the orphanage went near him. He was cold to them, and to the social workers who tried to help him, and even the people who took care of him.  
>Alone, he lived, watching all of the other children and leave. For five years.<p>

Everyone had been so surprised when Antonio adopted him. In fact, they cruelly began to bet on how long it would take the now-teen to return.

None of the stories bothered Antonio. They were just that. Stories. The boy swore a lot, he was moody and angry and... Well, that was understandable. Antonio would not be too happy or trust people if they constantly abandoned HIM. Luckily, he had a very loving family.

And he firmly believed that no matter how frozen and cold a heart was, that it could be thawed with persevering love. And love Lovino was what Antonio was going to do.

He was determined to make the unlucky Italian's life better.

Starting with Lunch.

"What do you want for lunch, Lovi?" Antonio asked cheerfully, glancing at the other for a moment.  
>He looked so sad. Maybe food would cheer the Italian up?<p>

"Pizza," Lovino replied mechanically, not even bothering to look over at the Spaniard. Antonio frowned at this display of coldness. But it was to be expected. Lovino would probably be cold towards him for a few days. He'd just have to show him those amazing stressful situation handling skills he had developed for work at the daycare. Dealing with bratty children and angry teens wasn't that different. Except maybe the tone of voice... And the strength that they had.

Obviously, working at a daycare was not a job that brought him much money. But Antonio was fortunate to be the son of successful restaurant's owners, and his parents always let him eat for free there, as if it was just another family dinner. He did not do it often so as not to abuse his parent's generosity, but he did stop in once in a while to see how things were. It was the perfect place to bring Lovino. If they weren't too busy, he could even introduce the Italian teen to his parents. They would be proud of their son, no doubt.

As they walked in, Antonio saw Lovino's mood brighten for a moment. He looked impressed. Antonio explained that it was his parents restaurant. Lovino asked what _his_ job was, and did not seem very impressed or amused with the answer.

"You watch children for a living?" He asked spitefully. But Antonio nodded happily.

" I like children. And someone has to watch them while their parents work," he explained. Immediately, a waiter recognized Antonio and led the two to a very nice booth in the back, near the kitchen. The smell of all kinds of different food filled the air there, increasing their hunger. The order was quickly placed and it took the waiter less than half a minute to get them their drinks.

Suddenly, Antonio noticed that Lovino's mood had dropped again, and he leaned forward, head resting on his hands.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and Lovino stared at him for half a second before looking away, as if to hide his thoughts from the other.

"Nothing," he replied dryly. He looked as if he wanted to add something, but for some strange reason, refused to.

"Are you sure?" Antonio asked, tilting his head to see the Italian's face.

"Yes. Why the hell would I tell _you _if something was wrong anyways? What do you care?" Lovino snapped.

Ah.

So that was it.

Lovino thought he did not care. Antonio chuckled, but this seemed to insult the other more.

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't have adopted you, silly. You can always tell me what's wrong." he explained patiently, hopeful that the other might possibly share what was bothering him,

"Yeah, whatever. You won't be saying that by Friday, I bet," Lovino answered. _The poor thing is so hopeless _Antonio thought to himself sadly.

"I bet I will," he replied in a sort of challenging tone. He understood. Lovino had been abandoned too many times. Rejected. Alone. The longest he had ever stayed with a family was a week!

Antonio was determined to do everything he could for the poor thing.

"Really?" Lovino asked, his voice hinting that he had already heard that once before. Still, Antonio nodded cheerfully.

"I'm sure of it. And if I still think the same by Friday, will you open up to me then?" Antonio asked. He did not really want to have to wait until Friday for the Italian to open up to him. He did not think it was a good thing to keep bad feelings inside... But it really wasn't his decision. He could try and force him, annoy him, anything, and it would only serve to destroy the Italian's trust even more. Feeling forced was never a good feeling.

"I won't. I don't owe you shit if you keep me until Friday," Lovino answered stubbornly.

Antonio sat back, staring at the Italian.

"It's almost as if you want people to hate you, Lovi.," he noted with a frown.

"Don't call me 'Lovi'," were the last words spoken before the waiter brought the food, and both dug into it with much hunger.

Antonio's parents were much too busy to do anything more than wave at him and congratulate him on the new person in their family. While they were walking, Lovino tugged on Antonio's sleeve.

"H-hey.. If you do end up keeping me... Can we come back here?" Lovino asked shyly, and immediately turned away and crossed his arms.

"Of course!" Antonio replied, and for a moment...

There was a slight glimmer of hope in the teen's eyes...


	2. Monday Afternoon

Monday Afternoon

"It won't last more than a week," a scornful voice rung out in Lovino's room, one that belonged to neither Lovino nor Antonio, and did not seem to originate from a precise point in the room.

"I know, now shut up!" Lovino spat at it as he examined the room he had been given. It had been a guest room previously, so it was rather plain and barely furnished. There was a single bed with soft, white sheets, a small closet and a little desk in the corner. Even though it was simple, it was light and soothing. Plus, the bed was so comfortable that Lovino almost fell asleep right then and there.

Antonio had dropped Lovino off at his apartment after lunch. He had realized that his phone had gone off while they had been eating, and his mood dropped the moment he heard the message left on it.

"One of the children fell and hurt himself, so one of my co-workers had to accompany him to the hospital. The other is alone with the other children, so I have to go help her. You're old enough to be alright alone, right?" Antonio had asked and Lovino nodded. Before leaving, Antonio gave him the spare key in case he wanted to go for a walk, told him to lock the door and left him the number for the day care as well as his cell number.

Lovino stared at the aforementioned key, contemplating going for a walk. They never let him go for walks at the orphanage, and it would probably do him some good…

"You still have hope that this might actually work out, don't you?" The Voice mocked. "'Can we come back here'? You're so pathe-"

Lovino interrupted the Voice by slamming the door.

He was going for a walk. That was that.

Upon his return, Lovino passed by the kitchen. A basket caught his eye and he stopped to look at it.  
>Oh wow.<p>

There was a basket.

Full of tomatoes.

Well, then.

Greedily, Lovino took the basket and slumped down on the couch, turning on the television. He searched through the channels for something decent to watch as he ate the tomatoes.

And he was very happy with this. He had tomatoes, he had television, and he was being lazy. Win.

"I don't appreciate you cutting me off like that." The voice said. Lovino had forgotten its existence for a moment in his good mood. He was, simply put, appalled by its return.

"Yeah well, I don't appreciate you mocking me, so shut up." Lovino retorted. The voice yawned in boredom.

"You can't do anything about it." It replied. At that moment, Antonio returned, but Lovino did not hear the door open.

"I said shut up, so shut up. I swear, one of these days, I'll-"

"Who are you talking to, Lovi?" Antonio asked from the doorway, interrupting the Italian.

"What? No one! I wasn't talking!" Lovino shouted, startled. "And don't call me Lovi!"

"Liar!" The Voice said with a chuckle.

"Shut up! He'll hear you, stupid!" Lovino urged quietly. But it was too late, and Antonio was standing beside Lovino, staring at the other who stared back, blushing in embarrassment.

Great.

Antonio must think he was absolutely insane.

Instead of making a comment on it, however, Antonio stared at the empty basket of tomatoes.

"Did you eat all of those?" He asked, his face unreadable. _Wonderful._ Lovino thought to himself. He was in more trouble! This must be the record of how long someone stayed in a house before being kicked out!

Still, he nodded at the question. Antonio chuckled.

"You sure have an appetite! I'm glad you like tomatoes. I was a bit worried that you might not. I guess I'll never have to worry about them going to waste!" He replied and sat beside the Italian cheerfully, placing a box (How had Lovino not noticed he was holding a box?) on the coffee table in front of them.  
>Lovino also noticed the tomato plants out on the balcony.<p>

Well then.

He felt very unobservant. And each thing he observed made this place seem so much nicer.

"Oh, I got you this!" Antonio exclaimed suddenly, passing him the box. He opened it, not really certain what to expect.

There was a chocolate cake inside, with the words "Welcome Home, Lovi!" written on it. Lovino glared at Antonio who smiled in return.

"You're really convinced that I'll be staying, aren't you?" He asked in anger, simply to hide the pain.

The word 'home' struck him. He would never have a home.

"Yes, I am." Antonio replied decidedly, proud that he had not been reprimanded for writing 'Lovi' on the cake. The Voice chuckled for only Lovino to hear,

"Here, I'll cut it for you, and you can have a piece." Antonio offered, taking the box from the Italian's hands gently.

"What about supper?" Lovino asked the retreating Spaniard. Antonio stopped to wink at him.

" I'm sure we can make an exception just this once! Plus, you ate all the tomatoes!" He replied, and brought back a piece of cake, one for him and one for Lovino. They sat beside each other, watching the television in a silence only interrupted by a few laughs here and there caused by the programs they watched.

Tomatoes and cake for supper. A kind and cheerful big brother. This place was nice, and he was the happiest he had been in years.

It'd be such a shame when he had to leave.


	3. Monsters and Accidents Of Tuesday

Lovino had felt very well rested and happy when he had woken up Tuesday morning. The rest of the night had gone wonderfully, especially since the God damned Voice decided to finally shut up and leave him be for once. And how well he had slept! For once, he had slept a whole night without a nightmare in sight, without waking up once. It was amazing.

And most of all, he had laughed and smiled, even if it had only been at the stupid things some people on television did.

He should really have seen it coming though when, as he sat up in his bed, stretching, the Voice began to speak again.

"Have a nice night?" It asked with a chuckle. Lovino growled and hid himself under the covers again.

"Go away."

If he could see the Voice at the moment, he knew that it'd be frowning at his display.  
>"Come on; is that any way to treat me? I let you have a taste of normal life. Appreciate." It whined. But the Italian refused to answer.<p>

"Fine, ignore me. You'll regret it." It said sourly and went quiet.

Lovino knew these little fits well. They usually ended with very awful consequences. But he couldn't just stay in bed, could he? No, that would be letting the Voice ruin his day. After a moment of silence, just to make sure it was really gone, Lovino slipped out of bed and into the shower. It was certain to do him some good, and relieve the stress that the stupid Voice had brought back.

He could not let it win. He could be strong and show it that he could not be bothered by what the Voice did.

Or rather, he would not lose to what was behind the Voice, this awful little demon who really wanted to make Lovino`s life miserable.

Well, he'd show it, anyhow.

Antonio was already awake when Lovino got out of the shower, it seemed. Lovino could smell something cooking as he got dressed, dried and brushed his hair.

"You have a curl sticking out, Lovi ! " Antonio said with a chuckle the moment he saw him.

"I know." Lovino huffed. Antonio just chuckled again, half because of how _cute_ his little brother was, and half because he had just gotten away with calling him Lovi.

Again.

He reached over and patted the young teen's head.

"Well, Good morning then. I made you breakfast," he said, and Lovino quickly turned his attention to the table, where an omelet and bacon waited for him.

_Good,_ Because Lovino was hungry. But when wasn't he?

Lovino said thank you and sat at the table, ready to eat, when he suddenly felt a familiar dizzy feeling.  
>And then, he felt far away.<p>

And just as suddenly, he heard, he watched the plate crash to the ground. And he had pushed it off himself.

Antonio stared at him, looking a bit… hurt? That was new. And strange.

"If you didn't want it, you cou-"

"I didn't mean to!" Lovino shouted the moment he regained control of his body, struck with panic. He crossed his arms, sitting back in his chair, throat and stomach knotted with guilt and shame.

Lovino had not meant to do that. It had been the stupid demon's fault! He actually had wanted to eat that! And for once, he really felt bad for hurting his adoptive… well, brother, because he actually-

His thoughts were interrupted by a light clink, and for a long moment Lovino could not for the life of him understand what had happened.

Antonio, who had only eaten half of his omelet, had placed it in front of Lovino instead, for him to eat. And then, he patted the Italian's head, and might have said something Lovino's mind _really_ hadn't registered, and sat down on the couch.

Well…

Lovino shook his head, picked up the –luckily unharmed- plate and the spilled food. He threw the food out, frowning at the waste, and then put the plate in the sink. On his way to the couch, he grabbed the plate and sat beside Antonio, curling up beside the Spaniard in guilt.

"Sorry." He said quietly.

"I told you Lovi, it's okay. I understand. I know there are some people who completely lose control of their actions sometimes. We have a kid at the daycare that trips all the time, pushes things down… by accident. He doesn't mean it, and we know it. "Antonio explained, smiling gently, and kissed his forehead.

"So don't worry about it, okay? I promise, as long as you are honest with me, I'll always try to understand and help you."

In any other situation, Lovino would have felt ever-so-slightly better. But once again, the words were pretty bitter.

"You wouldn't understand. You wouldn't even believe me." Lovino retorted grumpily.

"You're right. I won't understand. Because you haven't told me anything. I can't understand when you don't tell me, Lovi." Antonio frowned, hugging the younger.

"Fine, don't say I didn't warn you!" Lovino muttered with little spite, mostly because of the hug. He sighed, trying to ready himself to explain, but all he could mutter out was

"I'm half-possessed."

And there was a moment of quiet, or at least, to anyone else there was. The little demon was giggling up a storm inside his host.

"Shut up, you!" Lovino yelled, and Antonio jumped.  
>"I didn't sa-"<p>

"Not you! Him! He's fucking laughing at me and I hate it! A-And you don't believe me, do you?"The irritated Italian shouted, but he felt surprisingly better afterwards. There may have been some truth to that "getting things of your chest" shit those therapists always tried to feed him.

"I believe you!"

Wait…

What?

Did Antonio just say he believed him?

Really?

Lovino froze for a second.

"Y…. You do?"

"I'm also a squirrel in disguise, here to rob you of your tomatoes." Lovino said, with an unbelievably straight face.

"Now that I don't believe" Antonio replied with a chuckle, ruffling the younger's hair affectionately. Lovino smiled slightly and rested his head on Antonio's shoulder.

"Lemme guess. There's a possesed kid at the daycare ?" He asked, half-joking. Antonio shook his head.  
>"Actually no, but my best friend lives in a haunted house, and I've been there before, so I know those kinds of things exist. And then there was Arthur, who I really hated, but he believed in all kinds of magic stuff…" Antonio trailed off in reminiscence.<p>

" You? Hate someone?" Lovino said, as if the very idea of Antonio being angry or hateful at anyone was unfathomable.

But really. He had been nothing but a nice guy to Lovino, and only spoke highly of other people, even though they had enjoyed a laugh at the expense of others last night…

Antonio hating anyone was such a weird idea!

"Just him. And this other guy who was in my class…. Mostly him, though." Antonio replied with a shrug.

"See? Even the seemingly kindest people can turn out to be assholes." The demon said with a scornful laugh.

"Oh, would you just shut the hell up!" Lovino shouted again, startling Antonio once more. This time, he knew that the insult was not meant for him, and he pulled the teen into his lap and cuddled him, petting his head. It confused Lovino for a moment, who was not used to anyone's affection, but he decided not to resist.

It was better that way, after all.

"I think I hate the thing bothering you though, too. And I have an idea how to make the voice go away, at least." Antonio said to Lovino, ho smiled just a bit more, before relaxing in his big brother's arms.

Maybe this time, things would work out…?


	4. Understanding The Difference

The living room was a mess when Antonio walked in. The lamps hung off their tables, their shades busted and twisted. The coffee table was flipped over, and everything that had been on it was now scattered across the carpet. The curtain, pole and all, had been torn down, and the pictures were either face down on the ground or hanging crookedly on their nails.

The pillows, blankets and cushions from the couch buried the Italian teen beneath them.

Of course, Antonio's first instinct was to try and dig the poor kid out, make sure he was okay... but Lovino gripped at every pillow or cushion he tried to pull away insistently.

"Go away!" Lovino shouted in anger, mostly to hide his terror. Knowing these kinds of fits eventually cooled down, Antonio let him be and instead got to cleaning the 'damage', which, other than the broken lampshades, wasn't actually that bad. The picture frames were fine, the batteries had fallen out of the remote but, once put back in, it worked perfectly, and the pole and curtains fit neatly back into place. Everything seemed just as it was, if not for the cushion-less couch... But, he found a penny, and a little toy car that belonged to his cousin, the one he babysat for a few days at the beginning of the summer.

With that, he sat on the ground near Lovino, ready to try again.

"Can you come out now?" He asked calmly, hopeful that the time it had taken to fix things might have cooled the Italian's anger.

"No!" Lovino shouted.

Oh, no such luck. Oh well.

"But Lovi-" Antonio knew he shouldn't push, but he did anyways.

" I'm not leaving!" The teen cried out, unmoving. Antonio supposed he meant that Lovino would not move from that spot, which, really wasn't the case, but he didn't know that. With a sigh, he got up and figured if there was any way to get a teen to stop acting like a child, it was probably through their stomachs...

Antonio wandered to the kitchen without another word and got started on supper, all the while rather worried. If Lovino had only taken maybe ten minutes to do all this, and he got home at almost four... And Antonio got home at six... That meant that the Italian had been curled up under all that for two whole hours? Poor thing.

And still, Lovino didn't budge, despite the smell of the food, and how it made his stomach growl. He only moved when Antonio tried to pull the pillows and cushions away again.

"Lovino, that's enough. Come out here and eat, at least." Antonio said, sternly this time.

Food definitively lured the Italian out. Slowly, but it did. He began by peeking his head out, noticing that the room had went from a disaster scene to... Well, just as it had been when he had gotten home, minus the mysteriously vanished lamp shades. He blinked at these things for a while before crawling out.

Immediately, Lovino was pulled into a tight, obviously relieved hug. He tried his best to push away from it, but...

Well. Emphasis on the tightness of the hug. It was a _tight _hug. And Antonio was much stronger than him.

Yeah. That not playing sports in school stuff was a lie, in Lovino's mind.

With a reluctant sigh, he gave up and let the other hug him, mumbling quiet curses and discomforts.

"That's better. What was wrong?" Antonio asked, finally letting go. Lovino sighed.

"I'm not going back there." He muttered, crossing his arms and absolutely avoiding those eyes, horrified of seeing hate or disappointment or fear or...

anything, any hints that he would, in fact, be going back. And soon.

"Where, school? Did you have a bad first day?" Antonio asked, worried. If someone had hurt his Lovi... Well, he had friends who would definitively protect his precious little brother.

"No. School was fine." Somehow, this reply didn't really relieve Antonio.

"Actually, it was great. Other than one of my stupid teachers calling me cute..."

Antonio chuckled at that.

"Oh, she calls everyone cute." He smiled fondly at the memory of the brown haired teacher. She could be scary. She taught cooking, and boy was she frightening with a frying pan, whether cooking or hitting his friends on the head with it...

"Art class is great and cooking class is good despite that, plus I made a friend. But there's the problem. I got home and He just wouldn't stop annoying me about how this was only fake. I'm not going back there. I'm staying right here!" Lovino explained with defiance, but his mood quickly dropped.

"He didn't want that so he broke everything." Antonio patted his head and smiled at him, getting up quickly to fetch something. Lovino had not seen the smile however, and if he had, he might not have been so hurt.

He began to eat the food quickly, before it got cold.

"Remember how I said I had an idea?" Antonio asked when he came back, but Lovino completely ignored him...

At least, until a box was set down in front of him. Lovino looked at it with little interest. That is, until he read the package...

An indestructible...

Waterproof...

MP3?

Antonio was giving him a present despite the destruction he had caused? He stared at the other in surprise, but was only smiled at.

"They're sound proof, so at least you can ignore what he says. I'm sure we can get something done at the school to allow you to listen to it there, as well." Antonio leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"There aren't any problems that are too big to fix. You just need the patience to think them through."

Well, that sort of sounded like something the guidance counsellor had said, but Antonio shook the thought away and continued to smile.

"So... This means I'm staying?" Lovino asked, and was once again pulled into a hug.

"Of course! I wouldn't abandon you for the world, Lovi!" Antonio said cheerfully. Lovino simply rested his head on his big brother's shoulder.

"Why?" He didn't mean to ask it, but it sort of slipped out.

_Please don't hear... Please don't hear..._

Lovino really hoped Antonio hadn't heard it, but judging by his face, he had.

He kinda wanted to hear the answer. Why someone would want to put up with him...

"I dunno. Mostly 'cuz I love you, I guess." He shrugged.

Despite himself, Lovino wondered what exactly he had meant by that as he watched the older go and reheat his food.

Together they struggled with the impossible packaging of the mp3 after supper, Lovino becoming very frustrated, digging out the scissors from his bag, and finally cutting the damn sharp plastic up, into tiny pieces for good measure.

AN:

Hi there everyone! This authors note is SUPER important. It will like... Change the end of the story, quite literally.

I was writing this story, and without a second thought handing it to my marvellous teacher to read.

And suddenly, I kinda realized that...

Yes, my teacher likes me. And yes, she knows that I'm not quite... into guys, but hey.

That doesn't mean I can force her into this story and have it end awkwardly.

So I wrote an alternate ending with platonic big brother little brother love.

Do you guys want THAT ending? Or a different ending? It'd be nice to hear from you.

Also, a friend asked on another website "WTF DO YOU LISTEN TO WHILE WRITING THIS STUFF, MAFIA?"

And I (After having lol'd for five minutes at being called Mafia...)

answered her that this fanfic is loosely based of a head cannon of the songs Whispers In The Dark and Monster played repeatedly one after the other.

Those sings are by Skillet. You may find they don't fit. But they are what inspired this.

Ciao, hope to see you in the next chapter, wether it be the finale or another adventurous day for Lovi, 'Tonio and The Voice~!


	5. How can you not like him?

Indestructible, waterproof mp3.

Now at first, the Demon wasn't really all that concerned. Sound proof headphones only worked for outside noise and, well, he was inside. Plus, he could always take over his host's body as he pleased... Right?

Wrong.

No matter how much he tried, screamed, cursed…  
>He was shut out.<br>Lovino ignored him. He listened to that damn mp3 all day! And all night last night, too!  
>The battery had to die at some time though, right?<p>

…...

There. It had started to flash. Lovino stared at it for a moment, finished up the question he was on, and shut it off, taking his head phones out reluctantly.  
>Ha! Finally fucking back in business! He wasted no time in grabbing the stupid device and throwing it out the window, almost unbearably happy.<br>He watched as it bounced a bit and landed in the grass.

Well. Boxes don't lie, do they? That piece of shit really was indestructible. The head phones were obviously broken, but the Demon didn`t seem to notice this, and instead let out a frustrated yell, apparently alerting the damn human downstairs, if the footsteps were any indication.  
>Promptly, the Demon blocked the door, the fact that his host was light and not very well built slipping his mind.<br>Needless to say, he tumbled none-too-gracefully to the ground when the door was pushed open.

Worriedly, Antonio reached to help him up, but he sat up by himself, arms crossed and glaring.  
>"Touch me and I swear I'll rip your damn head off." He spat, dusting his host's body off. He hated physically hurting the body they had to share. Antonio stared for a moment but his expression melted into something...<br>Frightening to say the least. If the Demon was to be afraid of a human, it'd be Antonio when he was angry.  
>More reason to get Lovino away from here.<br>Where he couldn't get attached to people just to be ripped away from them.

Despite the angry face, Antonio was still quite gentle, pulling him into a hug.  
>"I'd like my Lovi back, please." He said, half-stern and half-calm, with a kiss on the forehead. The Demon twitched at this and made a disgusted face.<br>" Yours?" He scoffed, visibly insulted. Antonio had sort of hoped that that would have worked but, once again, he was having a hard time. Still. He reminded himself that this was just the same as dealing with a very destructive little kid. Business as usual. He just needed to be patient and think things through...  
>"Yes, mine."<br>... Sadly, he wasn't feeling all too patient. He was rarely patient with people who angered him, and nothing angered him more than those who harmed people that he loved. Antonio was sweet until you bothered his friends. If you did, you'd be watching your back for months...

"For how long though? How long will you put up with him?" The Demon refused to let up.  
>He was a demon, after all. No manner of frightening humans intimidated him. He was so very stubborn.<br>"I'm not giving him up for the world." Antonio said with a smile, because suddenly, he realized something. And suddenly the Demon didn't seem much like a Demon at all. He cared deeply about Lovino, it seemed. He just wanted to protect his host from heart break.  
>Each one of those accidents and incidents his previous families had experienced was just the Demon's way of taking out his failure on them. Because he couldn't destroy the hope to save him from the pain.<br>Both of them were trying to help Lovino. They just had very contradictory ways of doing it.  
>"Really?" The Demon's voice cut off Antonio's thoughts. "Even after the mess he-"<br>"You did that. Not him. It's unfair to blame him for something you did." That voice was startling. Even the most kind-looking people could be cruel, the Demon thought to himself. Once again, proof that the human wasn't perfect.

"Jeez. Are humans ever fucked up in the head. I don't know how people can bear to say something so fake. I'd choke on lame ass lies like that. You don't really mean it." The Demon scoffed, finally capable of wiggling out of the hug, but settled a little ways away, arms crossed.  
>"I do mean it! I wouldn't like to be blamed for something I didn't do!" Antonio replied, fully letting the other escape from him without a struggle.<br>"Of _course_ you mean it. No one is that genuine and no one stops to think about other people's feelings. Everyone wants something from someone."  
>Was that ever a bleak look on the world! It was certainly possible to see why people thought that, though.<br>"I don't gain anything from taking Lovino in." Antonio told him. "Except maybe company, and someone to love and protect... But it's not bad to want that of someone! Wanting something from someone isn't always negative!"  
>"Don't you get money from keeping Lovino? That's all anyone else wanted to keep him for!" The Demon shouted.<br>"Oops. I should probably have filled those papers in..." Antonio mumbled.  
>"You haven't yet?" The Demon asked, spitefully. If money was the reason you wanted something, usually you got that done first.<br>"Nope! I was too busy worrying about... well, you and Lovi. It's not that important though. I'll get it done eventually!" He replied, visibly embarrassed.  
>"What do you mean, not that important? With that lousy job of yours..."<br>"My job's not lousy! Day Care centers are in high demand! We get paid really well, and it even pays with happy little children~!" Antonio cut him off, tone somewhere between insult and joy. He could never be unhappy when he was talking or thinking about the adorable little children at the daycare. Of course, they were noisy and messy, but they were so... alive. And happy. They always ran up to him and gave him hugs when they got there, either after school or in the morning. They called him big brother, and they drew him lots of adorable little pictures, and he kept all of them...  
>"You like that kind of job?" The Demon asked, again.<br>"Of course! There's nothing better than the feeling you get when you make someone happy." He chuckled. "I guess that's something people want when they make people happy. But again, that's not a bad thing."  
>The Demon sighed.<br>"I don't get you." He shook his head. "I don't understand why there's nothing more..."  
>"Well. Think about yourself then! Why do you want to protect Lovino? What do you gain from it?" Antonio asked. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, so he got up, holding his hand out to help the other as well. They walked down the stairs to the door.<br>And The demon thought.  
>And thought.<br>And realized. He didn't really have a reason, either. He just did it because... Lovino was his host? Because he'd cease to exist if Lovino were somewhere that was genuine? He _had_ to make up excuses. He_ had_ to see the possibilities, because he had been doing this for no reason but because it was what he felt he should.  
>It was a cruel way to do things. But he could stand to be hated if it saved his host from being a fool...<p>

The person at the door was a young woman who had found Lovino's mp3 in the park. Antonio glanced over at the Demon, who looked away, ashamed, but took it and thanked her.  
>"She doesn't get a reward. Why'd she bother to bring it up?" He asked.<br>"Because she's nice? Or it's the right thing to do? I don't know. So, what's your reason?"  
>"Ain't got one, really." He answered, smiling slightly. "Other than I won't exist anymore if he doesn't need me. I eat misery." The Demon chuckled, and so did Antonio.<br>"Why not change your diet and eat love?" He smiled, but the Demon ceased his chuckling.  
>"You love him." He stated. Antonio nodded.<br>"I've said that twice now, haven't I? Will you be alright with that?" He asked, but was laughed at.  
>"Why me? Ask him! I'm just going to eat your soul if you break his heart." It was said as a joke, but there was truth to it. Not that he'd have to worry.<br>"Thank you."

Well. The headphones certainly were trashed. Lovino stared at them with a frown.  
>"Great. Just fucking wonderful. How the hell am I going to annoy that freak now?" He muttered to himself, trying to stuff the cables back inside their plastic to no avail.<br>"Demo." Antonio said, sitting beside the teen on the couch.  
>"What?" Lovino stared at him, confused.<br>" His name is-"  
>"I know that! How the hell do you know that?" Lovino cut him off. He didn't know why he was angry about it. Maybe he was just bummed about his headphones and was taking it out on Antonio. That was probably it. It wasn't right, of course. But Lovino wasn't used to being nice or trusting people or dealing with his anger, with our without Demo around.<br>"You didn't get to hear our conversation earlier?" Antonio asked, now rather curious about it. Lovino shook his head, though now he was worried. He was happy that he didn't, because he was certain that he'd be writhing around because of the guilt in his stomach at what he hadn't said.  
>"Oh. Well then." Antonio said, and hugged Lovino. " That's okay. I don't think you'll have to worry about him acting out at me or anyone anymore, though."<br>"Wha?" This time it was a much calmer surprise. Lovino hugged Antonio back tightly.  
>"The hell did you do to him? You didn't get rid of him, did you?"He pulled back and stared, worried, as if he had only just registered how the hell this was even possible.<br>"Nope. Just talked to him. Don't worry." Antonio said, patting his head.  
>"A-alright..." Lovino muttered, wondering... What in the world could have been said for Demo to <em>trust<em> someone. Especially Antonio. He never trusted people who adopted Lovino. He always claimed they _wanted_ something. Something that wasn't a little boy to love.  
>Well, Lovino wasn't little anymore. He'd be 16 soon. He'd be driving a <em>car<em> soon. He could have been out on his own in a few months had Antonio not picked him.  
>He was grateful that he did, though. Without a job, without a home, and food, and interaction (other than Demo)... Lovino wouldn't have gotten far after stepping out. He'd made friends at school already (He made sure to leave out Michelle when talking to Antonio. Older people, especially loved ones,<br>usually tease you when you meet someone of the opposite gender. Antonio seemed like the person to do just that.)  
>Wait.<br>Where'd the idea of Antonio being a 'loved one' come from? It was Thursday. He hadn't been here a week yet. And he was already calling him that?

Nope, wait just another minute. This is a different kind of love. Sure, Lovino wasn't _quite_ sure what family love was. But it certainly didn't bloom this easily. And it certainly wasn't the whole, sorta-enjoying being kissed on the cheek, or hugged... Did Demo know this?

... Apparently so. He was chuckling uncontrollably.  
>"Kid, you're <em>cute.<em> You know that?"

Random cut-off cliffhanger is not random, I assure you dears! There's a method to my madness!

First off, I wanna thank you all for voting! Very little people wanted the platonic ending. -no surprise there-

So. I'll write another something with Chibi Lovi and Spain, Platonic love! Other than Prussia, I can't see Lovi being with anyone else than Spain... (exceptmaybecertainocs, coughcough)  
>Michelle is the name for Seychelles that I picked. I roleplay as Lovino on facebook, and I met a Seychelles whose name was Michelle... SO! I borrowed it without telling her. XD<p>

Speaking of Facebook role playing, The wondrous Ventus made an account to role play the Lovi from this fanfic! I'm so blessed... And Brittania, if you're reading this... Hi :D

AND EVERYONE ELSE. THANK YOU FOR READING THUS FAR. THE STORY IS ALMOST OVER! -feels sad and lonely now-


	6. Three is way too much!

NSNO- Three's too much !

Lovino stared at Demo… Which was extremely odd, because he had never in his life done that before. _Never._

He blinked, rubbed at his eyes, tilted his head…

Nope.

There was still a smoky grey tabby sitting on the table in front of the couch. Demo really had not lied when he had tried to convince a young Lovino that he was some ort of cat all those years ago. Although… Lovino had not expected him to be a kitten. A harmless, fluffy, innocent looking kitten.  
>"You're a kitten." Lovino stated, twitching ever so slightly. He sort of wanted to punt the damned cat off the table, or drop him out the window like his MP3 had been dropped earlier, or…<br>But Antonio was standing close by, so he really couldn't.  
>"I sure am. I can't take my normal form, because I doubt that people are allowed to keep ferocious animals in apartments of all things. Are we even allowed animals in this place?"<p>

"Of course. I used to have turtles." Antonio replied from… the kitchen? Probably putting up more of those little children's drawings onto the fridge…  
>He was startled by Demo jumping into his lap, and wasted no time in pushing the stupid cat to the ground before picking him up by the tail.<p>

"I'm bringing you to the shelter." Lovino stated flatly, and Demo started to flail and wiggle, attempting to get out of his grasp. Antonio reached over and took the kitten from him, startling Lovino.  
>"No! He's cute! Let's keep him!" He said, petting Demo's head and listening to him purr. Lovino stared at him in absolute horror. Keep him? He wasn't cute, he was a monster…<br>In a way, Lovino was too. Good to know that didn't matter… But still, keep Demo?  
>"He's not cute, he ruined my life! Not cute at all!" Lovino shouted, reaching for the cat…<p>

But he was standing in front of the couch.  
>And Antonio was standing behind it.<br>So there was a couch in between them.  
>And he totally forgot that. Luckily it was a soft couch.<p>

"Kid, you wouldn't be _here_ if not for me!" Demo replied with a huff. "Appreciate!"  
>"Yeah, don't you like it here?" Antonio added. Lovino glared at both of them. He wouldn't have met Antonio if not for Demo… True. Instead, he'd have a family. Would it really have been worth it? Sure, there wasn't much here… But people who got everything they wanted became spoiled jerks. He was loved here, no doubt about it. The other families had other children… And Lovino hadn't been treated fairly there now that he thought about it. Here… There was no one to share attention with other than Demo. He didn't have a father… It was more like a room mate with authority… Or a big brother. Something like that. Something comfortable.<p>

"Whatever. I'm not happy with him around." Lovino told them, crossing his arms and sitting back on the couch. Antonio came to sit beside him, trying to pull him close… But Lovino was going to ignore his existence as long as he was petting Demo. He even avoided so much as looking at either of them, certain that one look at that non-deserving demon of a cat being pet (And looking so smug, and enjoying it, too!) would make him want to throw him down the laundry shoot or something.  
>He wasn't jealous of the attention, though! No way!<br>He was angry that that monster was getting any love from his-

Wait. Waaaaaaait. No.  
>He hated Demo and didn't want to watch him use someone (as swee-…nic- afldgyhdwhgs Ugh! No!) like Antonio to be happy…?<br>No! He just hated the cat! That was all! No one else involved. He wasn't jealous, he didn't care that it was Antonio, and he couldn't care less… He'd feel this way if it was some hobo down the street petting the damn cat! That was it, he just hated Demo and that was all there was too it! Honest!

Eventually, Antonio let Demo go and watched him walk off, probably to explore the apartment for himself or something. Lovino was slightly relieved. (Slightly…)

But only because the cat was gone.

Again, he was pulled over, but didn't resist too much this time.  
>"Tomorrow is Friday. What do you want to do to celebrate?" Antonio asked cheerfully. Lovino had completely forgotten the date. He and time weren't the best of buddies. He often forgot it, much like the Canadian that used to be in the orphanage with him…<br>What was his name again?  
>Lovino simply shrugged at the question. He couldn't care less as long as he was wit…<br>As long as Demo wasn't invited.  
>Stupid Demon cat.<p>

"You know, I had a girlfriend once…." From the desk, Perched upon Lovino's math book, Demo chattered on about random things. Lovino, for the most part, ignored him… But that one sentence caught his attention.  
>" She was pretty. Man, was she ever ! Anyways, we obviously had a hard time hitting it off, you know… Because of how I don't like or trust people, But I was really happy I did! Cuz man, was she gorgeous ! And the smartest cat I ever met!" He continued, and Lovino sat up,<p>

Glaring at the darkness.

"Why should I care ? Shut up. I have to go to school in the morning." Lovino shouted at him grumpily.

"Cuz kiddo ! I'm telling you, you have to pounce on those kinda feelings ! You love someone, you go get 'em ! "

Lovino threw a pillow at Demo, and he was quiet the rest of the night.


	7. No such thing as No One

There was something about Fridays. When you wanted them to go slow, they passed as if the hours were minutes.

Which was how the day was passing. It felt like he had just woken up and already it was last period. In front of him all day had been a piece of paper and a drawing in the making.

Technically, it hadn't been the same piece of paper, as he had started off with a different paper and ruined it, but it was the same idea, and that was all that really mattered. Because details... Who needs them?

All that's important is that we have a little Lovino drawing a surprise for Antonio, and that it was last period and still it wasn't done yet.

"Chill kiddo. He works until six." Demo told him. Lovino sighed. Would he have the drawing done by them?

"Worrying about time won't get it done."

Huh. For once, Demo was being useful and trying to help. Maybe he could feel Lovino's stress. It must be making him uncomfortable or something. Lovino sighed and returned to his drawing.

The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. He was drawing a cafe for Antonio. He didn't know why, but something inside of him, and not Demo, if you are wondering, told him that it fit.

So he drew a nice cafe, trying to remember his favorite parts about the ones he had seen and the things that Antonio had seemed to like judging by what he had in his home and the things he stopped to look at in the stores they had been in. He worked really hard on it until the bell, and was relieved to see that only a few small details remained. Lovino asked the teacher for an envelope to put the picture in so that it wouldn't meet some untimely fate to the annoyance of papers crumpling in bags. It would be just his luck if something like that happened, so to avoid the problem entirely, he cushioned the precious paper in bubble and envelope-y goodness.

He took extra precautions, as you can see. He didn't even put it in his bag, and held onto it tightly all the way home.

Speaking of said place, the moment he arrived there, his bag was dropped and he wasted no time but to take off his shoes to get to the table and continue drawing. It had to be finished...

And by four thirty, it was.

It took a bit less longer than Lovino thought... Okay, a lot less longer.

And now, with nothing to do, and no home work on weekends, he flicked in the television, toppled over onto the couch...

And promptly (Unintentionally) fell asleep.

Sometime between six and six thirty, Antonio came home. He didn't dare wake up the cute, sleepy little teen, and instead got to work on making supper. Only when this was done and set on the table did he wake Lovino up, who did so with a start.

"I fell asleep...?" He asked, rubbing at his eyes. Antonio nodded and smiled at him.

"Did you have a long day?" He questioned, and Lovino shook his head. Like hell he did. The day passed way too quickly!

He could smell food so he stood up. The table was set, forks, knives and... Where did the drawing go? Antonio must have seen it, or thrown it away, or-

"Your drawing was on the table, so I put it in the frame right there. Is that okay?" Antonio told him, just in time to make him stop worrying. But in a frame? Really? He was expecting more of it being put on the fridge. But in a frame? That was flattering. But then he realized.

"You saw it? Did Demo tell you what it was for?"He sure hoped not. Or did he? Such an odd situation. The surprise had been ruined though.

"Oh, it wasn't for us? It's not stuck in there, you can take it ou-"

"It was a surprise for you and now it's ruined because I fell asleep and you saw it! I worked on that all day!" Lovino shouted, cutting him off. Antonio stared at the coffee table, then Lovino, then back at the drawing on the coffee table... Then pulled Lovino over and hugged him. Tightly.

"That's so nice of you~! I love it so much~! You're amazing, you know that?" He smiled at Lovino, who simply made a little huffy, proud noise at that.

"I love you, you're the greatest decision I ever made."Antonio mumbled happily, and Lovino, having heard that, froze.

"What...?"

Lovino system shutdown. Not only was his drawing a success, but he was loved. And either Antonio had made nothing but really shitty decisions in his lifetime, or he was LOVED.

Kitty Demo pounced onto Lovino's foot, as a horrible pun of a reminder for Lovino to pounce on his feelings. It wasn't the greatest way, but still effective, because Lovino squirmed his arms until he could wrap them around the other to hug back, and mumble a very quiet "Love you too."

Quiet.

Come on.

You still can't expect a big, huge, "I LOVE YOU!" from the kid. He's had it pretty rough, and saying I love you for a first time's a difficult thing he probably wouldn't have done if not for the damn cat claws stuck in his leg forcing him to. Plus, you don't need to be loud when the person you were saying it to was right in front of your face that...

Well, long story short a kiss is and was only a few seconds in its coming. Demo was caught between saying two Y lettered words, yuck and yay.

That had gone so much better than planned.

Everything had for everyone, really.

Had we mentioned that, at Lovino's third period, Demo had gone out for a walk? And that, in his walking time, he saw a beautiful kitten who had gotten the exact same idea as him and that...

She was overjoyed to see him again.

We didn't mention that? Oops. It's kind of important.

Well. Now you know.

So yeah! Everything was going well in this little, half-assedly put together family. Dinner went well, and the surprise cake that once again had said Lovi in its "Welcome home, Lovi." message went... well, in their stomachs, of course.

And Antonio also had a special present for both Demo and Lovino.

But more for Demo.

It was the cat, and dayum, how had he known?

Speaking of how did he know, as both couples sat on the couch watching Television, Antonio asked

"Lovi, hos did you know I loved cafes?" To which Lovino shrugged.

" If we pass by one, you always want to go in."

"When I was your age..." Antonio chuckled, because it made him seem old when he was really a few years older, " .. I wanted to own a cafe. But I realized that it's just too much work for one person, and no one I knew had the same dream or same passion for it that I did." Antonio seemed a bit sad and, may I say, it's an understandable feeling.

"What's worse is that I could always see myself there and I never did get there. Not that I don't love my job though."

Lovino thought for a moment.

"Don't say no one, idiot. There's got to be someone in the world who shares the same dream. And... I wouldn't mind helping you if you'd want." He suggested seriously.

"Me too! I'll help! Somehow... I can be the mascot! O-Or I'm sure I can learn to bring coffee on my back! Imagine that! People'd come from all over!" Demo said. The girl, Nira nodded.

Smiles all around. Not a frown was showed that night. Maybe a playful one. But the future was bright.

If there's one thing to be learned, really, it's that you can't ever say no one.

Because someone will love you.

Someone will help you.

Someone will put up with you.

And maybe, somewhere, there exists someone who wants to share your dream.

* * *

><p><p>

There you have it folks. It's finally over.  
>Though, not really, if you think about it. It's only the first week, the beginning.<p>

I'm going to go cry in a corner.

OH! WAIT!

I met a reader at G-anime in december. And so, if you're reading this my little Roma-dear... I couldn't find you on facebook! Too many people have the same name!

So please message me... Because you were an awesome person and I would have liked to be friends. :D


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